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One book remains containing ‘G’ prefix serial numbers and it begins with G5200, which dates from 30th April 1903. The last entry is G6620, sold some time in early 1961.
The ‘G’ Book contains the following references to each entry:
No.
Barrels
Description
Order No.
Viewer
To Whom Sold
Date
These appear to be primarily trade sales to other retailers, mostly overseas, though some entries are made for individual sales to customers.
The types of firearm featuring in the ‘Description’ column include:
Martini sporting rifle
Bar (bar action)
Dbl (double)
TL (top lever)
Doll’s Head
Rogers (patent action)
A&D (Anson & Deeley)
There are also references to grade in numbers (547 grade, 539 grade, 538 grade etc). The meanings of these grade codes are no longer known.
Barrels are described as:
Martin (presumably Siemens –Martin fluid-pressed steel)
Skelp
Damascus
Steel
Twist
The term ‘Viewer’ probably indicates that the guns and rifles were constructed elsewhere in the trade and checked by a Westley Richards employee when delivered.
The list of customers is, as previously mentioned, mostly made up of other businesses. They include:
Keep Bros
Ford Bros (London)
Shamayana Dishan Dutt & Co. (India)
Landover & Co (London)
Stuben & Co. (Hamburg)
D.W. Biswas & Co. (Calcutta)
H.G. Miolee (Bulawayo)
Rawbone (South Africa)
Woodhead Plant & Co.
Chalmers & Guthrie
A. Adams (Sydney)
James Smith
Chalmers Guthrie & Co.
Savage & Sons Ltd.
Perrins & Burke
Sandover & Co.
Garlicks Motor Cycle & Supply Co.
Lloyd & Co.
Details are scant on individual guns and rifles. For example, we can see that SN G5688 is a 12-bore, bar-action shotgun with top lever and 30” skelp barrels, delivered on 18th November 1903 to Woodhead Plant & Co. as the first of a batch of twelve identical guns.
This is consistent with the idea that these guns were being ordered by hardware and general stores around the Empire and elsewhere to be put on the shelf and sold to local customers.
Westley Richards has an outstanding reputation for supplying a comprehensive selection of pre-owned guns and rifles. We pride ourselves on our in depth knowledge of the many sporting arms built over the last 200 years, placing particular emphasis on big game rifles, like the 577 Nitro Express, 505 Gibbs and 425 Westley Richards. Whether looking to grow or sell your collection of firearms, or simply require a trusted evaluation, our team from the sales department would be delighted to hear from you. To view the latest available, head to the used shotguns and used rifles pages, and for those interested in new firearms, explore our custom rifles and bespoke guns pages.
